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A marathon is a 26.22-mile (42.2-kilometer) long-distance race. Technically, the exact length of a marathon is 26 miles 385 yards (42 kilometers 195 meters). But the length is mostly commonly stated as 26.2 miles.

Marathons are most commonly running races, but some people complete marathons in wheelchairs. Marathon courses are typically on roadways, often those in or around a city.

The marathon is an event in the Summer Olympic Games. Major marathons are also held internationally in many major cities. Prominent events include the Boston Marathon, the New York Marathon, and the London Marathon.

A marathon runner can be called a marathoner.

A running race of 13.1 miles is known as a half-marathon. The term ultramarathon refers to a race of 50 miles or more.

The word marathon is also often used in a more general way to refer to a contest or event that takes a particularly long time and requires endurance, such as a dance marathon. A movie marathon involves several movies played consecutively. Sometimes, the word is used in a more figurative way to refer to a task or undertaking that takes a long time and requires patience, as in Be patient—learning karate is a marathon, not a sprint.

Example: I’ve always wanted to run a marathon, so I started training today.

The first records of the word marathon in English in reference to the race come from the 1890s. It comes from the name of a plain in Greece known as Marathon, where the Athenians defeated the Persians in 490 b.c.e. According to legend, an Athenian messenger named Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of the Athenian victory—a distance of around 26 miles. Pheidippides is also said to have run to Sparta before the battle to secure aid from the Spartans.

Due to its ancient Greek origins, the marathon was included as an Olympic event at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, in 1896. The first marathon at the modern Olympics was 24.8548 miles (40 kilometers). The distance was increased to 26.22 miles (42.20 kilometers) at the 1908 Olympics. This distance was standardized for all major marathons in the 1920s.

The endings -thon and -athon are taken from marathon and used in the names of events involving a specific activity being done for a particularly long time and for a specific purpose, often as a contest or to raise money or both. Examples include walkathon, telethon, and dance-a-thon.

What are some other forms related to marathon?

• marathoner (noun)
• half-marathon (noun)
• ultramarathon (noun)

What are some words that often get used in discussing marathon?

• running
• long-distance
• race
• course
• endurance
• finish
• train

There are longer races, but marathons are the perhaps most popular long-distance race. Many people list running a marathon as a life goal. The 26.2-mile length of the marathon is well-known. When you see a sticker on a car that says “26.2,” it usually indicates that the person runs marathons or has completed a marathon.

Due to its association with long length and endurance, the word marathon is commonly used in more general and figurative ways.

For the first time since 1983 an American man has won the Boston Marathon! Congratulations Meb Keflezighi!

— Boston Marathon (@bostonmarathon)

Just completed my first marathon!!! Started running 10 months ago and I never thought this day would come 🙏🏾

— Veeresh Neralagi (@veereshneralagi)

Last four couples in a dance marathon, Chicago, circa 1930.

— Classic Pics (@ClassicPixs)

✊🏼✊🏼 is at the bargaining table again today with and the clock is mostly off for what could possibly be a marathon session while our team fights for sustainable wages, healthcare & paid leave. We formally unionized 2 years ago. TWO YEARS! /1

— Matt M. McKnight (@mattmillsphoto)

In the Greek legend that inspired the marathon, the messenger was running from Marathon to what place?

A. Corinth
B. Athens
C. Sparta
D. Thebes